how do you rate his chances of pushing through real reform of america's gun laws? >> it does not look like he has a majority of votes in congress for actually banning a certain weapon tight, these assault weapons we have been hearing about so much. a slight majority of americans are in favor of banning them, but in congress, too many lawmakers are afraid it -- afraid of the cloud of the nra -- afraid of the clout of the nra. other measures like increased background checks or banning magazines have strong backing with the american public. >> many european scratch their heads at the mention of american gun laws. how do you explain the fascination america seems to have with guns? >> there's a lot of aspects to it. obviously, there is a culture of violence in the united states. there's a strong military culture in the united states. having said that, the argument you hear most often and that most people often believe, at least those who have guns, is that guns are a symbol of freedom. those are the people -- and believe me, there are lots of them -- who say that any at